WEBVTT PREPORTER: VANESSA, MAYOR CALNONPSAYS HE DOES EXPECT A TAXPINCREASE FOR NEXT YEAR.PBY HOW MUCH THOUGH WILL BE UP TOPTHE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.PMAYOR CALNON PROPOSED A BUDGETPBACK IN OCTOBER, WHICH TOOK INTOPCONSIDERATION ALL THE REQUESTSPFROM ACROSS THE CITY.PTHAT BUDGET PROPOSAL WAS OFFPBALANCE BY $1.6 MILLION.PTONIGHT, COUNCIL MEMBERS AREPDISCUSSING AMENDMENTS TO BRINGPTHAT NUMBER DOWN TO A MOREPREASONABLE, PASSABLE BUDGET.PCALNON SAYS HE KNOWS BUDGETPTALKS CAN BE CONFUSING, BUT THATPHE IS CONFIDENT THE CITY COUNCILPIS MANAGING THE TAX PAYERS MONEYPFAIRLY.P>> IT SOMETIMES IT TURNS OUT TOPBE DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE TOPUNDERSTAND, BUT I THINK WE'VEPDONE A GOOD JOB OF MANAGINGPPEOPLES MONEY AND WHILE WE DON'TPLIKE TO HAVE TAX INCREASES WEPDON'T LIKE TO HAVE REDUCTION INPSERVICES, THAT KIND OF THINGPVANESSA: THE OUTGOING MAYORPEXPECTS AN EXCITING YEAR FOR THEPCITY IN 2017.PALTHOUGH, HE SAYS, IT'S TOOPEARLY TO BUDGET IN PROJECTS MADEPPOSSIBLE BY THE DOWNTOWNPREVITALIZATION GRANT IN THISPBUDGET.PCOLLIN READ WILL REPLACE CALNONPAS MAYOR STARTING IN THE NEWPYEAR.PAMENDMENTS TO THE PROPOSEDPBUDGET WILL BE HEARD UNTIL IT IS

Council members were set to review amendments to the mayor's proposed budget for 2017 at its Wednesday night meeting.

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Ahead of that meeting, Mayor Jim Calnon said he expected a tax increase would happen once the final budget is agreed upon, but by how much would be determined by the city council members in the weeks to come.

Calnon said while he doesn't like tax increases per say, sometimes they are necessary to ensure services continue to meet needs.

The city charter mandates the mayor propose a budget in October. Calnon said he did so, but presented a proposal that was off balance by $1.6 million.

"It was a compilation of all the requests from the departments, a roll-up of all the department requests. I made no adjustments to what they asked for," Calnon said. "It included positions we had no intention of filling."

Moving forward, the mayor and others can propose amendments to that October budget. Those amendments were expected to be the focus of the Dec. 28 meeting.

"Our budget is extremely complicated, extremely detailed and I think sometimes it turns out to be very difficult for folks to understand, but overall, I think we've done a good job of trying to manage the people's money.

Amendments to the proposed budget can continue to be considered until the budget is finalized on Jan. 14.